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the waves, awaiting the end of the world, during which it would drink up the
oceans. Remo and Chiun had briefly lived with the survivors of Moo until even
the island was swallowed by the Pacific.
"I remember," Remo said quietly. "The people of Moo thought Ru-Taki-Nuhu held
up the sky with his tentacles."
Chiun held a fist over the side. A finger coiled out and down. "Ru-Taki-Nuhu,
known to Sinanju as Sa Mangsang, sleeps below us."
"Good for him. Not that I believe in him, that is."
"These squid are his offspring and acolytes. They guard his resting place,
dreaming of the hour their lord will awaken to consume them, as he will
consume all earthly life."
"Why don't we just be on our way?" Remo said suddenly.
"Because you are going to awaken Sa Mangsang."
"And have him drink up the ocean? No, thanks."
"You must awaken Sa Mangsang so that he sees you. Then you must make a certain
sign with your fingers. Like this." Chiun made an arcane gesture by separating
his two middle fingers.
"I don't think my fingers bend that way."
"You will make this sign, and once Sa Mangsang has seen it, he will know you
for Sinanju. Then and only then you must return him to slumber."
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"With what? I don't exactly carry sleeping pills on me."
"You would do well to remember that the Greeks had another name for Sa
Mangsang."
"What's that?"
"Hydra."
Remo made a thoughtful face in the murk. "Hydra. Hydra. I've heard of the
Hydra."
Chiun pressed his hands together firmly. "Enough! It is time for you to awaken
Sa Mangsang from his ancient sleep."
Remo folded his arms. "No way I'm jumping into a sea full of unhappy squid,"
he said defiantly.
Chiun's eyes narrowed in the darkness. "I will not insist that you jump, if
you are afraid to," he said, voice as thin as his unreadable eyes.
Remo looked at his master's stern eyes, "You don't exactly say that like you
mean it."
"I mean it exactly. I will not insist that you jump into these evil waters."
"Good," said Remo. "Because I'm not jumping." And taking the rowboat's
creaking oarlocks in both hands, Remo held on.
Chiun took hold of his gunwales and began rocking on his seat. The boat began
rocking in sympathy. Remo tried rocking in counterbalance. Chiun redoubled his
rocking. Having established the rhythm first, he had the advantage. Remo tried
to find the rhythm in the hope of setting up a counter-rhythm. But during the
precious seconds in which he was searching, he only aided Chiun in
destabilizing the tiny craft. The boat took on water on the port side, then in
the bow.
Quickly it began swamping.
"If you don't stop," Remo warned, "we're both going in."
And they did. The boat tipped precariously one way, and letting go of the
oarlocks, Remo threw his weight to the other side desperately.
With the end result that the rowboat capsized completely.
Remo plunged into the cold water, automatically charging his lungs with
oxygen. Though caught by surprise, his body did the natural thing and took in
as much air as possible.
Orienting himself, Remo looked up. The sea above was choked with feeding,
darting squid. When he saw the Master of Sinanju's feet dangling in the water,
his skirts floating high like the mantle of a jellyfish, the upturned boat
beside him, Remo started up to help.
Abruptly the boat righted itself, and the skirt collapsed like an umbrella.
The feet of the Master of Sinanju vanished completely.
Remo broke the surface at the boat's stern. He looked up.
In front of him the face of Chiun hovered. Above his head the flat part of an
oar hovered, too.
The other end of the oar was firm in the Master of Sinanju's bony fists as he
sat in the rowboat's stern. "You letting me back aboard?" Remo asked.
"After you have troubled Sa Mangsang's sleep as a warning to him that he
should remain steadfast in slumber so long as the House of Sinanju exists in
the world."
"What if I don't come back?"
"It will not matter, because Sa Mangsang will then drink up the entire ocean
and with it this fragile craft and its very sad occupant. So do not fail."
"I don't believe in Sa Mangsang."
"You will soon change your mind, as did I when my Master brought me to this
place, as did the Master before him and all Masters before him going back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]